- OAG named Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as the busiest US airport for 2023.
- With a capacity of 62 million, Atlanta was also crowned the busiest airport in the world.
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest in the US, global data provider OAG said this week.
The airport also got top honors this week in OAG's rankings for the top 10 busiest global airports.
For the US awards, the rankings were based on each airport's total domestic and international airline seat capacity, which collectively accounted for about 413 million seats across the top 10.
It's Atlanta's 25th win as busiest airport since 1998 — taking the top spot not only in the US, but also for the entire world. The airport only lost its No. 1 spot once when China's Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport briefly overtook Atlanta in 2020 amid the pandemic.
Delta's giant hub, Atlanta's favorable Southeast location, and the lack of competing nearby airports all contribute to the top airport's high foot traffic.
In total, Atlanta saw a 62 million seat capacity in 2023, according to OAG, with the next busiest airport being Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with about 48 million available seats this year.
Comparing numbers to previous years, the top 10 are all above 2022 in terms of capacity, and only a handful are still trailing behind 2019.
Here are the top 10 busiest airports in the US, according to OAG data.
10. Miami International Airport
Seats: 30.2 million
Change from 2019: Up 18%
Miami, or MIA, is a major hub for American Airlines and is a key gateway to Latin America.
9. Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Seats: 31.6 million
Change from 2019: Up 7%
Charlotte, or CLT, is another major base for American, which accounts for some 90% of flights out the airport.
8. Orlando International Airport
Seats: 34.5 million
Change from 2019: Up 19%
Orlando is Florida's busiest airport, attracting the millions of people heading to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
The airport, known as MCO, is a hub for tiny regional carrier Silver Airways.
7. Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport
Seats: 35.3 million
Change from 2019: Up 18%
Las Vegas' casino-themed airport, LAS, is famous for its slot machines and is a focus city and operating base for several low-cost carriers like Allegiant Air, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Frontier Airlines.
6. New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport
Seats: 37.8 million
Change from 2019: None
New York City's biggest airport, JFK, is a giant international long-haul hub for carriers like American, JetBlue Airways, and Delta Air Lines.
It competes for traffic with nearby LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
5. Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Seats: 43.7 million
Change from 2019: Down 14%
Chicago O'Hare, known as ORD, is a major hub for American and United Airlines, and shares the skies with Chicago Midway, which is a key base for Southwest Airlines.
4. Los Angeles International Airport
Seats: 44.5 million
Change from 2019: Down 14%
Commonly referred to as LAX, the airport is a major international gateway, especially to places in Asia and the South Pacific.
It is a home to American, Alaska, Delta, and United, and competes for passengers with several other Greater Los Angeles area airports like Long Beach and Burbank.
3. Denver International Airport
Seats: 46.7 million
Change from 2019: Up 17%
Denver, or DEN, is a hub for United and Frontier Airlines and is famous for the bizarre theories surrounding some of its art and statues scattered around the airport.
2. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Seats: 48.1 million
Change from 2019: Up 10%
American mega-hub Dallas/Fort Worth, or DFW, serves the city's metropolitan area and shares passengers with another major Southwest base, Dallas Love Field.
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Seats: 61.2 million
Change from 2019: Down 3%
Atlanta, or ATL, has consistently been the world's busiest airport since 1998, minus 2020, and is Delta's main hub.
The airport's geographic location is favorable because it is within a two-hour flight of 80% of the US population.